Mark’s birthday took us to our favorite city, San Francisco, and to Yosemite National Park for the first time. We were not prepared for the majesty of the place and could not hold back tears as we drove into the park and got our first glimpse of the towering cliffs of granite and the raging waters of the Merced River. Taking the bus to Glacier Point, where Theodore Roosevelt camped with John Muir and was inspired to build the national parks, we befriended Mr. Muto from Tokyo, the first of several hikers we met from around the world. Our group stopped at El Capitan where we could spy rock climbers near 7500 feet scaling the cliff face. Our hike through the cliffs and waterfalls was spectacular - a total sensual experience of mountain and meadow sights, the smell of pines and wildflowers, the sound of birds and crashing water, the feel of cool breezes and spray. On the lower Mist Trail, we had to maneuver our way down the steep wet rocks beside the waterfall, getting soaked to the skin by the dense mist. It was a day when we had to pause every so often to say, “This is so beautiful.” For Mark and me, Yosemite was nothing short of a spiritual exper
